What Engine and/or Fairing Protection R1200RTW do you use?

[nelliott]

Here is a list of what I can find.

If there are others, send me a PM and I will add it to the list (but won't be able to change the poll).

Let us know below in a post, too, if you use something else.

Please comment on the products you use, tell us what you think re: fit, performance, other?

Wunderlich

Engine: http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/R1200RTLC/20380101-103.html

Fairing: http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/R1200RTLC/44140001-003.html

Rear: http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/R1200RTLC/20450101-103.html


IllumWorks

Engine: http://www.iliumworks.com/BMW_Motorcycle_Accessories.cfm?pn=30%2D200BL&pID=98


Touratech

Engine: http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/3590/PN-047-5160/Engine-Crash-Bars-Stainless-Steel-BMW-R1200RT-2014-on

Fairing: http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/3590/PN-047-5161/Upper-Crash-Bars-BMW-R1200RT-2014-on-Water-Cooled


ZTechnik

Engine: http://www.nationalcycle.com/z7103.html


Machine Art Moto

http://machineartmoto.com/r1200gsa/2013-2014-gs-2014-adv_lc/x-head_lc/

 

[gene36542]

http://machineartmoto.com/r1200gsa/2013-2014-gs-2014-adv_lc/x-head_lc/

 

[RYD1WD]

FWIW...

When I bought my '14 RT, I asked my service manager at the time (20+ years in the biz) his thoughts on bars vs. the new BMW valve cover design, which are quite smart and elegantly integrated (finally). He said that from his experience of seeing his fair share of crashed bikes, he would stick with the valve cover guards, as the bars don't tend to hold up well when really tested hard and end up doing more significant and costly damage that would have been done otherwise. I took his advice, and have seen plenty of supporting evidence to support his position since. YMMV and all that...

 

[jaflowers]

I purchased mine not so much from a true crash protection perspective but more from an accidental tip over whether at slow speed or just parked in the garage.

Ztechnik.

 

[vawas]

Valve cover protection

I purchased the valve cover protectors. When I dropped the bike I broke the valve cover protector, damaged the mirror cover, damaged the panier. I have purchased the Ilium guards for the engine and wunderlich guards for the bags having acknowledged I can't keep it up (the bike that is).

 

[RYD1WD]

I purchased the valve cover protectors. When I dropped the bike I broke the valve cover protector, damaged the mirror cover, damaged the panier. I have purchased the Ilium guards for the engine and wunderlich guards for the bags having acknowledged I can't keep it up (the bike that is).

Plastic or rubber backed Aluminum Valve Cover Guards?

 

[vawas]

Valve cover protection

Plastic or rubber backed Aluminum Valve Cover Guards?

They were aluminum with a plastic insert. The insert was broken off and the aluminum was badly scratched.

 

[RYD1WD]

They were aluminum with a plastic insert. The insert was broken off and the aluminum was badly scratched.

Damage to actual valve cover?

 

[wbrownell9]

http://machineartmoto.com/r1200gsa/2013-2014-gs-2014-adv_lc/x-head_lc/

+1

 

[st13rt12]

Faring protection R1200RTW

I guess I'm the only vote for Tour-Tech.

 

[davagail]

Illium

I put these on for hiway pegs mostly. If I happen to do slow speed/parking lot tip over which I have done in the past,they will help. Far as a hi speed get off I only hope I survive,bike can be easily replaced!!

 

[RYD1WD]

Had a perfect example roll in the other day. One of my customers who recently bought a new R12R, had a bit of a disagreement with his clutch at a light resulting in a low speed drop. Low speed as in he was stopped to begin with.

This bike was equipped with Wunderlich "engine protection bars", which caved in. So in addition to all of the damage he would have done anyway (pannier, bar end, mirror), the "engine protection bars" caved in making hard enough contact (all energy directed to small, hard area) with the valve cover to dent it and unsettle the valve cover gasket to where the bike was losing oil. Pretty much exactly the same result he would have had with nothing at all. This drop was while leaving a stop...

It's quite unlikely there would have been any damage to the engine if valve cover guards had been used instead of "crash/engine protection bars". Most crash bars are nothing but overpriced "accessory bars" - something to make your bike look ugly, and a place to hang your extra lights and foot pegs... IMO. It gets frustrating trying to explain to customers that the manufacturers can call these things anything they want to get folks to buy them... I'm the one they're going to come back to when they do more damage than good if I they bought them from me.

 

[jaflowers]

Had a perfect example roll in the other day. One of my customers who recently bought a new R12R, had a bit of a disagreement with his clutch at a light resulting in a low speed drop. Low speed as in he was stopped to begin with.

This bike was equipped with Wunderlich "engine protection bars", which caved in. So in addition to all of the damage he would have done anyway (pannier, bar end, mirror), the "engine protection bars" caved in making hard enough contact (all energy directed to small, hard area) with the valve cover to dent it and unsettle the valve cover gasket to where the bike was losing oil. Pretty much exactly the same result he would have had with nothing at all. This drop was while leaving a stop...

It's quite unlikely there would have been any damage to the engine if valve cover guards had been used instead of "crash/engine protection bars". Most crash bars are nothing but overpriced "accessory bars" - something to make your bike look ugly, and a place to hang your extra lights and foot pegs... IMO. It gets frustrating trying to explain to customers that the manufacturers can call these things anything they want to get folks to buy them... I'm the one they're going to come back to when they do more damage than good if I they bought them from me.

Interesting info for sure and thanks for posting. A member here, BMWDEAN, also had the Wunderlich bars on his and he removed them after a 0 speed drop and they bent. He replaced them with another brand I believe but it's interesting to see/hear a second case where those bars failed. In some other threads on crash bars there was a lot of discussion on the bends and flat spots in the Wunderlich bars design which caused me some pause when looking at bars.

 

[lowflyer2000]

I guess I'm the only vote for Tour-Tech.

I too have Touratech. I like there idea of having the bars "rest" on the cylinder cover bolts thereby eliminating / reducing possible damage caused by the bars "flexing / bending" after a mishap. PLUS, I like the looks.